Today we took it easy and went out into this:

It was nice to get out because there was no ice and most importantly, no wind! Canadian winds are fierce. I never felt cold like this before. My niqab is sometimes frozen when I go out and feels kind of crunchy, lol. When I lived in Virginia, we had mild winters, in fact, the high temperature today in Richmond is 58 degrees (14C)! Here, it is 24F/-4C. Big difference, huh? Or should I say “eh”?

The kids loved being out today but I have to really watch my son because he insists on eating the snow.

That’s a big no-no around here because there is always evidence that the neighbors have lots of dogs. Yuck.

Thanks to Granny, we’ve added another “smart toy” into the house:

I don’t know Melissa and Doug personally, nor do I have any stake in the company,(too bad for me), but I really like their puzzles. They are very sturdy and the kids love them. I’ve made a tremendous list of wants.
When we first had the children, I knew that I wanted to homeschool but I didn’t put enough thought into the benefits of what we call “smart toys”, meaning the ones that don’t think, move, talk, play, sing, run for you. I like hands-on toys like blocks, dolls and doll houses, cars, dinosaurs,etc.
Of course, now that I see my children playing and interacting, I want toys that encourage simultaneous learning and entertainment. So, I realize we have an overabundance of stuffed animals packed away in the closet, along with a bunch of other miscellaneous things that haven’t been missed. These things must go where they will be loved and appreciated.